Truth still stranger than fiction in these episodes

Let's say I'm writing a novel, and in this fictitious story,there is a politician who likes to flirt with women by sending themphotos of key parts of his anatomy. Now's let's just say I name mypolitician character: Congressman Weiner.

Readers would be like, "Really? You're calling him Weiner? Isn'tthat a little cheesy and overstated?"

You would think.

That, people, is why I am in the news business. I am not creativeenough to make up stuff that would be more interesting than whatactually happens in the real world.

So if you were a member of Congress, with the unfortunate name ofWeiner (could he not pronounce it WHY-ner?), wouldn't you think youmight just have the sense to be somewhat judicious about what you dowith these sorts of, ahem, self-portraits?

Besides, I have my doubts as to the effectiveness of thisapproach as a flirtation ploy. Surprisingly few women consider"Weiner-grams" to be a form of wooing.

But then, I am constantly amazed at what people in the real,nonfiction world will try to get away with - and sometimes do.

Arnold Schwartzenegger is so famous, he's known worldwide by hisfirst name. People in third world countries recognize "Ah-nold." Yetthis guy, while serving as governor of California, managed to keepsecret for 14 years the fact that he had fathered a child with hishousekeeper.

How the heck did he manage that? I can't keep my Younkers bill asecret from my husband. Arnold hid a lovechild and an affair with awoman who worked under his roof for 20 years? In a work of fiction,you would call that implausible.

Then there was the Syrian lesbian blogger who was supposedlykidnapped who turned out to be A) not Syrian, B) not kidnapped, C)not a lesbian and D) not even a woman.

Yes, the blog that illustrated the plight of a "gay girl inDamascus" was in fact written by a married middle-aged American manliving in Scotland. What amazing insight he must have to Syrian gayculture. Keep this yahoo in mind the next time you want to assumesome Internet blogger is a good source of factual information.

Truth, as they say, is indeed stranger than fiction. Keep that inmind, and beware of photo attachments from Congressmen you do notknow.

You can e-mail Gilligan at agilligan@wcinet.com.